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In Touch 06-07-04

In today's passage, God teaches us about His relationship with His children. He says that He will deal with us as a potter works with clay and that we, like the clay, are in His hands. (Jeremiah 18:6)

God deals with believers in two ways. First, He is molding every one of us into the image of His Son Jesus. Secondly, He is shaping us for a specific purpose, one that is individually designed and brings about our usefulness in building His kingdom. Our part as clay is to submit ourselves to His purpose. As the potter, He may subtract something from our life - similar to removing lumps from clay - or He may speed up the pace until we feel as if we are spinning. Or, desiring a new shape for His "vessels," He might dramatically rework our pattern of living in order to start us in a new direction. Our responsibility is to accept any changes from the Master Potter.

We can do this confidently because we are in God's hands. Scripture describes them as . . . creative hands whose handiwork is displayed in nature. . . hands filled with righteousness. . . hands that give life and take it away. . . mighty and powerful hands that rescued Israel from Egypt and us from slavery to sin. . . hands that protect us. . . hands that were pierced so we might be made new.

So when we think about being clay in God's hands and about how God deals with us, we can relax knowing "in His hands" is exactly the place we want to be.